Skin
by Panja Mysy
Summary: Johnny Gage didn't expect to meet a beautiful girl while out on a run, nor did he expect to hit it off so well with her...but there's something more about her he didn't expect.
1. Chapter 1

**In my Nursing classes we were talking about mixed raced families and cultural differences and this story popped into my head (successfully distracting me from the lecture, but don't worry I jumped right back into reality and managed to focus the rest of class!). I'm telling you right now there may be some touchy material in here and I want to reiterate that none of the bigoted views some of the characters in the story may show are not MY views and they are only meant to bring conflict to the story. **

**Also, all rights belong to Mark VII and Universal and I own nothing and this story is purely fiction and not meant for any personal gain and all that disclaimer jazz.**

**P.S. This is the rewritten, lighter, less rushed version. **

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_**Into the shadows, whose illuminated crest**_

_**Speaks of the world behind them where the sun**_

_**Still shines for us whose day is not yet done.**_

_**Those last dark ones go drifting. East or West**_

_**or North or South- it matters not; their quest**_

_**is toward the shadows whence it was begun;**_

_**Hope in it, Ah, my brothers! there is none;**_

_**And yet- they only seek a place to rest**_

_**So mutely, uncomplainingly, they go!**_

_**How shalt it be with us when they are gone,**_

_**When they are but a memory and a name?**_

_**May not those mournful eyes to phantoms grow-**_

_**When, wronged and lonely , they have drifted on**_

_**Into the voiceless shadow whence they came.**_

_** American Indians-Vanishing Race**_

_**by Badri Narayanan**_

"Hey guys, is Johnny in here?" I tuned my ears into Chet Kelly's voice and emerged from the other side of the squad and saw Chet slink into the kitchen. Oh geez, he was probably setting up a water bomb or some such awful prank that I would unwittingly walk into later on. Well I wasn't going to sit around and let him do it, by golly!

I marched toward the kitchen and as I walked through the doorway I heard Chet say:

"So this Indian walks into a bar…"

I froze in mid walk and I saw Mike poke Chet's arm and nod slightly towards my direction. Chet didn't even flinch.

"He ordered a drink, drank it and went home to his big happy family after a hard day at his extremely well paying job!" he finished his statement and turned around with a smile plastered on his face.

"Nice try, Kelly," I said darkly as I changed my direction and headed for the coffee pot on the stove. I sighed and poured a cup then turned around and leaned back on the counter.

The sound of the tones calling out for the engine to respond to a small abandoned house fire soon had the kitchen empty minus Roy and myself. I plopped down in the seat next to Roy and propped my feet up on the table, it was ok to do as long as the Cap wasn't around.

"Hey, Junior," Roy said hesitantly, "You're not insulted or anything, are you?"

"Naw, of course not, Roy," I replied, knowing full well I was lying as soon as the words left my mouth. Truth be told, it stung a little.

"Good," Roy seemed relieved, "Because you know Chet doesn't mean anything by it, right? You have to admit, some of his jokes are pretty funny even if they are a little off colored."

"I know it," I said, taking another sip of coffee, "I'm kind of curious about how that joke was going to end too." And I really wasn't kidding about THAT!

We sat in relative silence for a long time until Roy set his coffee cup down with a heavy _clunk_ and I jumped a little at the sound.

"I've got a question, Johnny…" Roy seemed really nervous and I wondered vaguely what was on his mind, but I gave him my full attention and nodded for him to continue. "How do you feel towards other races? Whites and Blacks and Hispanics and Asians?"

I looked at him for a moment as I thought his question over.

"Well…can't say I've ever had any problems with ANY race," I said honestly, taking my feet off the tale and leaning forward onto the table. "I don't really think about what color someone's skin is when I'm treating them on the job or their bone structure as I check out at the market or their accent when I talk to my neighbors in the elevator at my apartment building…to me, people are just people."

"Me too!" Roy defended himself, "I feel that same way, so please don't ever forget that! I just wondered if people considered to minorities thought about the issue."

"It shouldn't even BE an issue, Roy," I muttered solemnly.

"You're right, Junior," Roy nodded, looking just as serious as I felt, "It shouldn't be."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After our shift was over, I said goodbye to the guys and jumped in my Rover, eager to get home and start enjoying my days off!

The first thing I did when I got home was plop down on my couch and fall fast asleep, not waking up for several hours. When I did wake up, I noticed it was about 3 in the afternoon and I jumped up.

_I just slept through half of my day! _I put my hands on my hips and yawned, feeling lazy and disappointed in myself. I had plans!

I ran down my mental list of things I had planned on getting done today: grocery shopping, dry cleaning drop off and I had been planning on taking a run on one of the outer roads before dark. I guess if I wanted to accomplish any of this I should get going.

I grabbed my uniforms off the back of my chair and my wallet from the table and headed down the stairs of my apartment building and across the street to the parking garage and headed to the dry cleaner's first to drop off my uniforms and then headed straight to the market to restock the fridge and cupboards.

It wasn't until about 5:30 that I parked the Rover on the side of the dirt road and started stretching for a nice, long run. I loved the feeling of running, the pounding of my feet on the dirt roads, or pavement or whatever as my mind went blank and I let myself focus on nothing but the feeling of my muscles working to continue the pace. Thinking back to my high school days when I ran track I asked myself why I never went out for endurance racing…why hadn't I? Oh well, too late now.

All too soon, however the sun began to set and I reluctantly turned around to head back the way I had come. As I rounded a particularly sharp corner I noticed a figure sitting on the edge of the road, a young feminine figure none the less! But then I noticed she had a look of pain on her face and she was clutching her calf tightly. I skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Hey there, are you alright?" I asked, my medical training jumping to the front of my mind completely pushed out all thoughts of attraction or flirtatiousness. I knelt down at her side and waited for her to reply.

"I…I think I pulled something pretty bad," she answered me, not meeting my eyes, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine in a minute."

"Well, I don't think it's worth the risk," I stated simply, "Well, ma'am, my name is John Gage and I'm a paramedic with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Would it be alright if I just took a look at you to make sure you didn't break anything?"

She hesitated a moment but then nodded and released her hold on her leg, leaning back. I smiled at her and took her calf between my hands as I palpated and examined. Her muscles felt really tight under her skin and I felt nothing broken and she didn't indicate any pain from the pressure of my fingers.

"Looks to me like you just had a bit of a Charlie Horse," I said. I lifted her leg out straight and elevated and pushed her foot back toward her in firm dorsiflexion.

"Oooh, ow!" she yelped at the stretch of her calf muscles.

"Yeah, I know it," I said soothingly, but continuing the flexing of her foot. "But it's gonna keep hurting it you don't stretch it out."

She sighed heavily as I pushed her foot back again and started to relax. I gently began rubbing her calf and she looked at me really funny.

"Am I gonna live?" she asked quietly.

I grinned at her, feeling the now relaxed muscles and nodded.

"Yep, just take it easy for a while ok?" I replied, releasing her leg. "In fact, I'd feel a lot better about things if you'd let me give you a lift home."

She looked at me with a questioning look, but then it turned to consideration as her eyes seemed to be running a full scan of my intentions. I shifted a little uncomfortably but then she gave me a little smile.

"If it's not too much trouble?" she said quietly. "My sister was suppose to come get me but not for a while."

"No trouble at all," I replied, glad I had passed her scrutiny. "I'll be right back."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A few minutes later, we were sitting in my Rover discussing my job, the Fire Department, running and anything else that came to our minds. I found myself amazed at how easy it was to talk to her and how pleasant she was as we drove under the city lights. Her name was Destiny and she worked as a secretary at a local business office.

"So, have you lived here long?" I asked.

"All my life," she replied, "And my daddy lived here his whole life before me."

"And how long has your whole life been?" I asked boldly, giving her a snarky smile.

"Twenty four years," she replied simply, returning the smile with just as much sarcasm. "How about you? LA County born?"

I chuckled darkly and shook my head.

"Naw, I was born on a reservation up in the north part of the state," I stated simply.

She turned to look at me in surprise and I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Reservation?" she asked, sounding shocked. "Like an Indian reservation?"

"Yup."

"You don't look like an Indian…" she said slowly.

"Well, I'm only half," I explained, "I may not be as dark but I've definitely got the features."

And I noticed her squint at me in the darkness of the car and then she nodded.

"Yeah, I can see it now," she said, sounding satisfied. She sat back in her seat. "Well that's pretty cool. So what brought you down here?"

"Unfortunate circumstances…" I reluctantly admitted. I hoped she would let it drop.

She nodded silently and didn't ask me anything else.

We drove in silence for the rest of the way, but it was a comfortable silence. I was feeling really glad I had picked that road to go for a run on today, never know just where you'll meet a pretty girl!

She gave me directions to a small house in a not so good part of town and I felt a little bit nervous as I parked in front of it. I glanced around as she got out on her side.

"Well thank you so much, John Gage, for rescuing me," she said with a smile as she prepared to shut the door.

I felt like I was about to miss a great opportunity and I gave her the most winning smile I could muster.

"Not a problem, little lady," I did a horrible John Wayne impression and felt like a complete idiot as soon as I did, but she giggled happily. "Say, Destiny, I was wondering…would it be forward of me to ask to see you again sometime soon?"

And for a moment I thought she was going to run in the opposite direction! She stiffened up and looked at me in shocked silence, her eyes wary and wide. But slowly her features began to soften when realized I was being serious and she looked down at the ground then slowly back up at me.

"I would like that," she replied quietly, "When?"

"How about Saturday?" I asked, feeling excited that she had accepted my request, "I get off duty that morning around eight."

"Which station?"

"51."

"I'll meet you there?"

I broke into a toothy grin and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan!"

She smiled and shut the door and started walking back to her house.

"See you then, John Gage!" she called back before she shut her front door.

I felt a surge of excitement run up my spine at the prospect of the date to come on Saturday as I pulled back onto the street. I thought back over the day and back over…her! She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever had the good fortune to meet and one of the most pleasant to talk to as well! She had a smile that lit up her whole face and made her nose crinkle slightly. Her eyes were large and dark brown and full of laughter and happiness. She had long black hair that was a mass of tight curls that hung loose about her pretty face. She wasn't stick-skinny; she definitely had some curviness to her but her legs and arms were long and lithe in a feline kind of way. She was absolutely the most lovely thing I had seen in a very long time.

Oh…and one more thing that made her gorgeous. Did I mention the fact that her skin was the color of melted chocolate?

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**There, that's better. Lighter and yet still the same concept. **

**Here's something I noticed today: Johnny reminds me of Barney Fife and Roy reminds me of Andy Taylor…only Johnny can do his job well and professionally without screwing everything up.**

**Reviews are loved!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ha ha, I didn't mean Johnny was dumb or careless like Barney Fife. I mean his crazy ideas, the way he has to EXPLAIN everything he says like no one is smart enough to understand, and the way he's like "Alright, yeah, you're right, let's forget it…but **_**I**_** think you **_**really **_**should do it this way!" Just kind of like that (And, whew, YEAH he's way better looking!)**

**Anyway, on to the story!**

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_**When I born, I black**__**  
><strong>__**When I grow up, I black**__**  
><strong>__**When I go in Sun, I black**__**  
><strong>__**When I scared, I black**__**  
><strong>__**When I sick, I black**__**  
><strong>__**And when I die, I still black**__**  
><strong>__**And you white fellow**__**  
><strong>__**When you born, you pink**__**  
><strong>__**When you grow up, you white**__**  
><strong>__**When you go in sun, you red**__**  
><strong>__**When you cold, you blue**__**  
><strong>__**When you scared, you yellow**__**  
><strong>__**When you sick, you green**__**  
><strong>__**And when you die, you gray**__**  
><strong>__**And you calling me colored ?**_

_**Unknown**_

"Man, that was CUR-RAZY!" Chet groaned as he jumped down from the engine, I slammed the squad door and nodded wearily. We had just gotten back from an apartment building fire..seven stories. I don't think I'd run up and down that many stairs within an entire year as I did in those last five hours. I was tired, I was dirty, I felt like my limbs weighed a ton and my brain was fuzzy from fatigue.

"Dibs on the shower!" I heard Marco yell as he took off toward the locker room. We all groaned collectively, everyone wishing they had thought to stake claim.

I resigned myself to lying down on the floor while I waited for Marco to get out of the shower, hoping to claim the next spot! But it felt SO good to finally just relax and I let Roy have the next shower and decided I could wait till he got out…

"HEY, GAGE!"

I jerked awake and sat up quickly. Then I realized it was just Chet leaning over me, grinning like the Cheshire Cat, and I laid back down.

"Don't fall asleep again, lazy!" Chet nudged me in the side with his foot and I growled at him, throwing my arm over my eyes to block out the light.

"I'm not asleep…" I mumbled.

"Um…actually you've been asleep for a while now, "I heard Roy's voice say. "You've been out for about an hour…"

Then I jumped up and my eyes shot to the clock on the wall. Oh man…I had five minutes until we were off duty!

"WHY DIDN'T YOU GUYS WAKE ME UP!" I shouted, looking around at everyone. But I didn't have time to argue or complain. I had to get cleaned up before Destiny arrived!

I ran to my locker to grab my change of clothes and then turned to head to the shower but came face to face with…

"DESTINY!" I yelped in surprise, literally jumping back. I placed my hand over my heart from the shock and exhaled slowly.

She smiled brightly at me and my lips automatically curved upward in a responding smile.

"Um…did I scare you?" she asked, looking amused. "The door was open…"

"Just surprised is all," I corrected, not wanting to seem completely unobservant.

"Just get back from a fire?" she asked, looking e up and down.

I looked down at myself and blushed. I was still in my turn outs, I could feel my hair sticking out wildly, I was covered in soot and I'm sure I smelled like a woodstove.

"Yeah…is it THAT obvious?" I chuckled. "I'm sorry…I fell asleep and I was JUST on my way to the shower when you came in."

"Oh, well don't let me stop you!" Destiny replied pleasantly, "I'll just wait outside for you."

"No way!" I said quickly, ushering her toward the kitchen. I tried not to touch her so I wouldn't get soot on her dress. "Come on in here and meet the guys! They'll definitely keep you company until I get back."

I felt her tense up a little but she kept walking as we made our way into the kitchen where the crew had gathered to have a last cup of coffee before shift change.

"Hey, guys, I have someone I'd like you to meet," I announced as we entered. "This is Destiny Ross. Keep her company while I get cleaned up, alright?"

Everyone looked up and I felt that familiar feeling of pain and anger flare up inside me when I saw their smiles visibly falter and fall into looks of confusion and concern. I kept my composer and proceeded to walk her right up to the table and started introducing them.

"Destiny, these are my shiftmates," I stated, pointing out each individual, "This is Captain Hank Stanley, my partner, Roy DeSoto, Mike Stoker, Marco Lopez and that joker is Chet Kelly."

"Nice to meet you all," Destiny said pleasantly, but her voice seemed strained.

I expected exuberant greetings and jokes flying from Chet's mouth about "why she would want to be with that clown" or something…ANYTHING. I felt like yelling when they all sat there with blank looks on their faces, all except Marco who grinned widely and shook Destiny's hand happily.

"Hi, Destiny!" he said cheerfully, "Johnny's been talking about your guys' date tonight ever since he got here yesterday!"

Destiny seemed to relax some at the open friendly greeting and small talk and she smiled back at Marco and laughed a little.

"He forgot to mention one little detail by the look of things," she noted.

At that moment, I felt a little bit better because Roy jumped up from his seat and stood next to Marco, reaching out to take Destiny's hand in a handshake.

"Well, I guess that's true," he said, "But I'd say it doesn't matter one way or the other because now you're here and we're all might glad to meet you. Would you like a cup of coffee? It's fresh made!"

Destiny looked at Roy with relief, and I felt the same relief flood my emotions.

"Yes, thank you," she replied, "Just one spoon of sugar, please?"

"Coming right up!" Roy grinned and went to the sink to fix the cup. I looked around the room at the other three men and I frowned visibly at them, but they were giving me nervous and unsure glances in return.

I stepped to Destiny's side and leaned down to whisper in her ear:

"I'm so sorry about those three. I honestly have never seen them act this way. Will you be ok here with Marco and Roy?"

"Yeah, Johnny," she replied simply, shrugging, "I'll be ok here with them. Now, go get washed up!"

She playfully gave me a little push towards the door and I chuckled as I headed out into the bay and towards the locker room.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

When B-Shift arrived and we were all free to go, Destiny and I headed to my Rover in the back. I held the door open for her and she slid in as daintily as a china doll. I pulled myself in much less gracefully and we pulled out of the station lot.

"I want to apologize for Mike, Chet and the Cap," I said softly, breaking the silence.

Destiny sighed heavily.

"Is it sad that I'm so used to it I hardly even care anymore?" she said sadly. She looked down at her hand in her lap. "Not that you ever get used to it. It still hurts just as much as it ever did."

"I know what you mean," I nodded. "But I didn't think they would…I mean they get along fine with Marco and I! Sure, Chet makes Indian jokes a lot, but I know in the end he's only kidding."

"Don't worry about it, Johnny," she shook her head slowly, "You can't change the world and I'm done trying to please everyone."

I fell silent, not knowing what to say really. I pondered her words and thought about all the times I'd been picked on in school and when applying for jobs because of my heritage. It's not something you can help, you know? Why can't people just accept that we are who we are, but we're all people no matter what color we are?

"Well," I said slowly, not really knowing where this was coming from, it just poured out, "You don't have to try hard with me. I'm already pretty doggone pleased with you."

Destiny turned her head to look at me, her eyes searching mine for any hint of humor or sarcasm, but there was none to find because I wasn't joking one bit.

"Well…" she began slowly, "That's a relief to hear. Not something I DO hear very often."

"So…" I tried to veer the conversation elsewhere, "How's your leg doing? Had any more issues with it?"

"Not a bit," she seemed just as eager to change topic, "I guess I just ran myself too hard the other day. I've been out running since then and I've been just fine."

"Good deal," I said with a grin, "Because you're gonna need your legs today!"

She looked at me in confusion and I just smiled back.

"What are we doing exactly?" she inquired.

"You'll see!" I replied, trying to sound mysterious. I hoped it came out that way instead of creepy…

Destiny turned around in her seat and examined the back of the Rover. Aw, shoot…forgot to cover all that stuff up.

"Rock climbing?" she asked, seeing the gear all over the floor.

"Way to ruin the shock value!" I said, shaking my head in annoyance at my lack of concealment.

She turned back around and looked forward out the window, her eyes wide.

"I've never done this before…" she murmured. "Is it dangerous?"

"Psh! Not with me teaching you!" I stuck out my chest in exaggerated pride.

"That's not what your friends would say…"

"Hey, now, what were they lying to you about that whole time?" I asked, annoyed already by the crew's response and now to find out they were spreading vicious rumors?

"Well it was stated by your friend Chet that you're fantastically clumsy," Destiny clarified. "Everybody seemed to agree."

"I'm not clumsy," I muttered, "My mind just gets moving too fast for my body to keep up. But I've never failed at my job and you better believe it!"

"Touchy subject?" she asked softly, looking slightly ashamed.

"I just hear about it a lot…"

"Well," Destiny's voice took on a cheerful note, "I guess you'll have your chance to prove them wrong today, won't you?"

I grinned as we turned onto an off road that led to some of the easier to climb rock formations. Destiny was looking around as we passed several difficult climbs and was looking nervous.

"Don't worry," I encouraged, "We're not going to start you on those! I've got some a little more tame in mind."

"Good," she sighed with relief, "Because I don't think I could make it a quarter of the way up some of those!"

I chuckled.

"It takes some building up to," I agreed.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

I finally found the very choppy, not very tall, firm footing rock wall I was thinking of and pulled up near it and parked. After I rounded the front ad opened Destiny's door for her, because I was raised to be a gentleman, I opened the back of the Rover and began pulling out supplies.

Destiny stood there holding the rope I handed her looking adorably confused, she eyed if suspiciously.

"It's not gonna bite ya," I teased, shouldering my rope and picking up the rest of the stuff.

She gave me a "ha ha, very funny" sneer and then smiled. _Oh wow…she had the most captivating smile I'd seen in a LONG time!_

"So…" she said hesitantly, looking up at the rocks, "How do we do this, exactly?"

"Well, first I'm going to get our ropes secured at the top and then we'll go up together, ok?" I asked and she nodded. So I chose a first place for a firm footing and then proceeded the easy free climb up the not so high rock formation. I tied both of our lines securely at the top and repelled back down.

Destiny was looking at me with an impressed look and she was smiling a strange smile. She looked thoughtful and delighted at the same time.

"Ok…" I announced, "Time to go up!"

Destiny pulled her shoulders back in determination and shook a strand of hair back from her eyes. She looked up the formation to the top that leveled out to become the forest beyond the edge.

"First thing," I said after I had checked to see if her equipment was placed and working properly. "Remember that the most important aspect of climbing is your legs. Yes, your grip and arms are important, but if your footing is bad then your grip and hold might not keep you up. ALWAYS make sure your footing is stable and solid."

Destiny examined the wall for a god foothole and finally picked up her foot and placed it in on a small rock shelf and nodded satisfactorily.

"Very good," I said, pleased she understood and followed my instructions, "Now, find a place to get a good grip and brace yourself. But don't pull yourself up if you can avoid it, lift yourself up with your legs."

I grinned and gave her a thumbs-up when she successfully executed the first step. Now…to do it over again with no room for second guessing. But Destiny was already taking another step up to find a foothold and she soon pulled/pushed herself up the wall a little further. Wow…this girl was really something else! I stood at the base of the rocks and watched her climb up as if she'd done it a million times, I felt a smile spreading across my face when she flung her leg over the top and looked down at me with a look of excitement and exhilaration.

"Well…are you coming or not, slowpoke?" she teased, breathing a little hard from her climb. I grinned up at her and started climbing, covering the distance much faster than she had, and swung myself up on the top next to her. I gave her a smug look and she dropped her eyes sadly.

"I thought I did that pretty fast…" she said quietly, "But I guess not."

"Hey!" I laid a hand on her shoulder, my smile faltering. She looked at my hand like she'd never seen one before then her eyes looked straight into mine. "You did amazing for the first time! It takes practice and I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. Don't judge your achievement by me!"

And my heart fluttered happily when she smiled, the white of her teeth contrasted dramatically against her dark lips. I gazed at them, considering taking a chance and going in for a kiss but she suddenly turned her head and looked over the edge of the small cliff. I sighed slightly and turned to look at what she was seeing but there was nothing interesting there and I realized she had just broken the moment on purpose. _Hey, she' worth taking it slow for_ I reminded myself as disappointment washed over me _give her time. This whole thing is probably odd for her. Heck, maybe she's not even thinking of this as anything but two friends hanging out._

"So…" I said, leaning back on my palms and dangling my legs over the edge. "You ready for something a little bigger? There's a formation not far from here that's a good step up from this."

Destiny's lovely brown eyes looked over at me and she nodded excitedly.

"I'm ready!" she said, standing up. "Wanna race this time?"

"You're on!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The second climb took much longer for Destiny to complete and then I taught her how to repel. She was very good at the whole thing, especially for this being her first time climbing and I found my admiration for her growing.

"That was so fun, Johnny!" she said breathlessly as we walked back to the Rover with our gear. "I feel like my legs and arms are jelly but it was a blast!"

"Glad you had a good time," I said with a smile, throwing my ropes and harnesses in the back of the vehicle, "You were amazing! I think you've got yourself some natural talent there."

"Really think so?" she asked, looking surprised, "That last climb took me a long time!"

"Most first timers don't even finish the climb," I stated with a wink. She gave me a funny look and then her eyes dropped to her feet where they scuffed the dirt, but I saw her pleased smile as she avoided my eyes out of meekness.

I leaned against the side of the Rover and looked at her appreciatively. She looked amazing to me as she stood there in her khaki shorts and her black tank top, her hair pulled back into a long, curly ponytail. She was sweating from the climbing and she had dirt one her arms and face, but her pure white smile showed that she was at ease and enjoying herself. She started talking to me about how exhilarating the climbs had been and how strong she had felt after she conquered the rocks and at one point she let out with a hearty laugh and I felt my chest flutter in a funny way that made me smile even wider as I listened to her.

"Well…this was so fun, Johnny!" she said, leaning up on the Rover beside me, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked around. "Where to now?"

I looked at her in surprise. She didn't want to go home and she seemed to be happy and content. Usually, this was when I drove the girl home and she told me "Don't call me, I'll call you."

"You…you got anything in mind?" I asked, still not quite sure what to think about her statement. I hadn't planned for it to be a very long and intimate date.

"I'd really love to just…talk to you," Destiny said, her head turned so she could look me in the eye. "So…wanna go get a drink or something? Just to relax and tell our stories?"

I smiled at her and nodded.

"That's…one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time," I replied, more than eager. Believe it or not…I felt like I WANTED to know her on an emotional level and that isn't something I felt very often. I remember Mike telling me once that if I wanted to keep a girl around I should sit down and talk to them about themselves, get to know them as a person and not a body. This was my first date since he'd told me that and I was excited to see what his suggestion made of things.

Destiny smiled her earth-shaking smile at me as I opened the passenger door for her to step up into. I found myself excited to hear her story as I climbed into the driver's seat and we pulled out of the park into the flow of the city again, headed for a small bar I knew of not too far down the road.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Well here's Chapter 2! It's been a while, but I promise I'm still here! It's just been a crazy week and I haven't had hardly any time to spare. I have big plans for this story so keep posted!**

**And don't get riled up about any character reactions or statements yet, all will be explained in due time.**

**REVIEW :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**So it was brought to my attention that there was an unexpected clothing change from a dress to not a dress…I wrote it very, very late at night so please forgive that little mistake ;) Let's all assume she changed…somewhere along the way. Ok? Ok! Onward!**

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_**Consider what it means**_

_**To love without condition:**_

_**It means to see all sides of me,**_

_**Then love is your decision.**_

_**To sit high or to sit low,**_

_**But love beyond yourself**_

_**Is the best way to love others,**_

_**And to reap spiritual wealth.**_

_**But to claim you see no color,**_

_**And smile like that is fine**_

_**Is to say you don't see wholely**_

_**And if so, we see you're blind.**_

_** Behind the Color Blind**_

_** Nordette Adams**_

"Well, thank you," Destiny said as I opened the door for her to enter the bar, "How gallant of you."

I wasn't 100% sure exactly what that meant, but I assumed it was along the same lines as chivalrous so I smiled and bowed dramatically, causing her to giggle. I scanned the room and found the most private and empty part of the room so we could talk interrupted and we took a seat in a booth on the back wall.

Our waitress tiredly asked us what we wanted and I gave her the most winning and charming smile I was capable of. She gave me a small, shy smile back.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, much less gruffly. "It's…been a long day. What can I bring you two?"

Destiny gave me a half smile.

"Do you have Smithwick's?" she asked the waitress, taking me by complete surprise. I'd pictured her as a…fruity drink kind of girl. "Bottled?"

The waitress smiled and nodded as she wrote it down on her notepad and looked expectantly at me.

"Uh…same," I said. She made a scribble on the notepad, gave me a flirtatious wink, and then headed over to the bar to get the drinks. I looked at Destiny with a mischievous grin. "An Irish ale drinker, huh? You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Miss. Ross?"

"I have my guilty pleasures…" Destiny looked up in fake innocence and then laughed. "Yeah, I'm a dark beer kind of girl. Little frilly fruity drinks don't really appeal to me."

I shook my head with a smile but our waitress' reappearance stopped me from making another statement. She placed the frosted bottles in front of each of us.

"Enjoy, guys," she said sweetly, but she wasn't really looking at Destiny, "And if there's…anything I can get you. Don't hesitate to ask."

She took a pile of napkins out of her apron and handed one to me and then laid one next to Destiny's bottle before she quickly turned on her heel and went to a table across the room to clear it. I looked down at the napkin in my hand and laughed lightly, flipping it over so Destiny could see.

_My name is Amy. If there's ANYTHING you need, call me. _Her phone number was scribbled under the note and there was a dark red lip print under both.

Destiny looked at it with amusement and tried to stop the laughter with her hand, but she failed and her sweet laughter reached my ears again. Luckily, she kept it down enough for the waitress not to notice.

"Looks like you've got an admirer, Johnny," she said. But the look she gave the blonde waitress wasn't as sweet as the sound of her words. I turned my head to glance at the waitress…I had to admit, she WAS a pretty little thing. She looked over her shoulder and gave me a sweet smile, causing me to look away immediately in embarrassment at being caught.

"Yeah…well…"I stuttered, not wanting Destiny to get the wrong impression, "That doesn't happen that often."

"I don't see why it wouldn't?" Destiny's eyes looked at me with a certain amount of scrutiny, causing me to wiggle a little in discomfort. I took a long drink of the ale in front of me to hide the nervous twitchy smile that threatened to spread over my face.

"So," I changed the subject, but her statement still stuck in my mind. "Tell me about yourself, Desi."

She gave me a funny little smile at the sudden use of the endearing nickname.

"Well, let me see…" she began, taking a sip of her drink as she thought for a moment, "I was born here in LA…actually on my kitchen floor."

"Delivered a few of those…" I stated with a wink, Destiny laughed.

"Well, see, my father was too…"she hesitated, "Well, why sugar coat it? He's very prejudice…and he wouldn't trust the work of the "white doctors" at the hospital and so he delivered me himself."

_Hmm, well in that case I don't see you having much of a chance here, skinny white boy…_ I scowled at my mind's sudden thought.

"Well, I grew up pretty normal. I went through all 12 years of school but couldn't afford college. I have a younger sister…what else do you want to know, Johnny?"

I thought for a minute and then smiled.

"Favorite color?"

And she smiled that lovely smile again, that one that made my stomach flutter.

"Yellow."

"Favorite animal?"

"Porcupine."

"PORCUPINE?"

Destiny burst into laughter and laid her head on the table as her shoulders shook from it. Then she looked back up at me and wiped the tears from her eyes the laughing had caused.

"Oh, Johnny, you should have seen your face!" she said, taking a deep breath, "Yes, I'm serious! I think they're the cutest little things!"

"To each their own, I guess…" I said slowly with a half cocked grin. "Favorite type of music?"

"You bettah believe it's jazz, brotha'!" Destiny tried her best at a New Orleans accent.

"Favorite…" I started but she raised a hand to silence me.

"I think it's about time I heard a little about you, John Gage," she said. "After all, I really don't know anything much about you."

I avoided her eyes and glanced over at the clock on the wall for a distraction.

"Not a lot to tell…" I muttered.

"Is there a reason you don't want to talk about it?" Destiny asked quietly, "Because you don't have to if you don't want to."

I looked back to her and I locked gazes with her. She really wasn't going to push the issue? Most people nagged me about why I never discussed my past much.

"I…I…it's just not something I like to think about very often," I admitted, "But to be fair…I'll tell you a bit."

Destiny leaned forward attentively.

"Well, I was born on a reservation up in the northern part of the state like I told you before," I began, "My dad had married a white woman and so when I was born, I wasn't really a popular addition to the tribe. In fact, I think they accepted my mother over me. Mom had a hard time getting me to go to school because I was constantly picked on but my dad taught me to stand up for myself and, after a few fistfights, school got easier."

Destiny smiled, clearly envisioning skinny little me decking the bigger boys.

"Well, long story short, life as a "half-breed" on the reservation ended when my parents both died in a car accident. Life as a "half-breed" in Los Angeles started when my aunt took me in and raised me through high school."

Destiny's eyes softened and she reached across the table and gently covered my hand with hers, I looked at our hands and smiled at the sharp contrast in colors. Creamy chocolate and light tan that suddenly looked as white as Chet compared to me! My God, her skin was so beautiful…

"Well, after high school I discovered the rescue training for the Fire Department and went through it. Loved it and chose not to go to college. Then I met Roy and he told me about the Paramedic program and…here I am today."

"I know what it feels like," Destiny said softly, her hand squeezed mine a little tighter as she kept her gaze locked with mine. "To be treated like you're somehow…worth less than everyone else. If you ask me, I'd say you turned out better than all the pureblood Indians OR the white half of your family tree!"

I smiled at her and ran my thumb over her hand absentmindedly; she looked down at our hands on the table and smiled.

"I feel so much darker when I look at that," she said with a grin.

"Psh, makes me look like I don't have a single drop of Indian in me. So much for my impressive tan!" I winked at her and we both laughed…but our hands remained together on the table.

"So…Johnny, what's YOUR favorite color?"

"I'm fond of greens and browns…natural colors, ya know?"

"Animal?"

"Gonna have to go with…cats."

"Music?"

"Rock and roll."

We fell silent after that run of questions and we released our hands from the other and finished off our drinks. The waitress from earlier came back and suggestively asked me specifically if I _needed_ anything else. I politely informed her that I was just fine, thanks. She huffed slightly and walked away, grumbling as she went.

"I think you hurt her feelings," Destiny observed as we stood up to leave.

"Well…I'm sure she'll recover just fine," I stated, opening the bar door for her again.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

When we arrived at Destiny's house, I got out and went around to open her door. She smiled as I took her hand to help her down and closed the door behind her. And…then I stood there, not really knowing what to say or do.

"Thanks for the great day, Johnny," Destiny's voice broke the silence, "I really enjoyed it. I was really glad to get to know you better."

And I decided it was now or never and I seized my opportunity.

"I don't think I know you well enough yet," I said, trying to sound smooth, "But…I'd really like to."

Destiny cocked her head slightly, but she waited for me to clarify.

"Desi," I used the nickname again, "I'd like to see you again. But…I'd like to see you as…more than just friends. If…if you get my drift."

"Are you asking me out on a legitimate date, Johnny?" Destiny's voice was amused and she smiled a cocky grin.

"Well…actually I was thinking more of…" I took a steadying breath to halt that dang nervous stutter, "I'm asking you…to be my girlfriend."

Destiny's eyes went wide and she looked around nervously, but then she turned her back on her house and faced me, her expression was unreadable.

"Johnny…are you really sure you want that?" she asked, taking me by surprise. I felt my heart sink a little…she was going to shoot me right down.

"I…yes, Desi, I really am," I replied, trying to sound confident.

She looked over her shoulder and then down at the ground by our feet. But when she raised her head again, there was a sweet smile on her face.

"I'd like that very much, John Gage."

My jaw dropped and that goofy grin I was known for spread across my features. Destiny giggled quietly.

"But…are you ready for what this is going to mean?" she asked, suddenly serious. "We're both going to get a lot of…disapproving looks and flack from a lot of people."

I nodded, oh how I knew it.

"I've lived with it before," I stated with a shrug, "Why not just ignore it like before?"

Destiny nodded.

"Then, in that case, I am inclined to accept your offer," she said dramatically, "Goodnight, Johnny."

And I felt my knees go weak when she got on her tiptoes to press a light, innocent kiss on my right cheek. I grinned happily at her as she turned around and walked up the sidewalk to her house. She turned around to wave goodbye when she reached the porch and I waited until she was safely inside before I pulled out and headed toward my area of town, sending up a prayer of thanks as I went.

Just wait till the guys back at 51 heard about this!

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Well, I meant to write more, but I'm SOOOOO tired and I have a test tomorrow so…I'll continue this another time! **

**Review and let me know how you're liking the story and if you have anything you'd like to see happen or any ideas on character development for Desi!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Whew, sorry it's been a little while since I update! I've been sick and terribly busy! I do have plans to progress this story along, but it may take awhile at this rate!**

**Ok, enough whining from me. **

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_**If roses can be red, yellow, pink and white**_

_**And still be roses;**_

_**If hair can be blonde, brown, black, white and red**_

_**And still be hair**_

_**Then why can't people be brown, black, white, pink and yellow**_

_**And still be people?**_

_** -by Aiofe (an Irish middle school diversity poetry contest)**_

When I arrived at the station on my next shift I ran in trying to beat the clock. I quickly stripped my clothes off and yanked my uniform out of my locker, changing just in time to run out and jump into the line for roll call and the day's assignments.

Congrats, Gage," Kelly whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "A whole two seconds to spare!"

I grinned but straightened my back as Captain Stanley came out of his office and started calling our names.

"What's with the smile, Gage?" he asked, a knowing look on his face, "Have a good two days off?"

"Sure did, Cap!" I replied, but saying no more. Why not keep people guessing?

"Ok, today's agenda is pretty laid back. Routine cleaning assignments but really nothing specific besides those. Let's see…Roy, you've got the day room and kitchen. Marco, the bay. Gage, latrine. Kelly and Stoker, hose duty."

I sniffed in annoyance. I really needed to start getting here earlier because latrine duty was getting old.

"So, how did the date go?" Roy asked me as we pulled the boxes out of the squad to do counts and calibrations.

I looked up at him from where I knelt in front of the trauma box.

"It wasn't a date…at first."

"But it turned into one, didn't it?" Roy's smug look made me smile slightly. He knew me well.

"As a matter of fact," I glanced around to make sure no one was around to overhear, "We didn't just go on _a_ date…we're going on many more in the future."

"You two are together?" Roy asked and I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle until I realized he wasn't saying it in a negative way. He actually looked like he was interested in hearing about it.

"Yeah," I replied, at ease now that I saw no judgment in Roy's eyes, "We went rock climbing and we really got to know each other better. She's an amazing girl, Roy. Heart of gold."

"She seemed like a nice girl when she was here at the station," Roy said, closing the drug box and placing it back in the squad. "But, uh, I'm not sure if you noticed , a few of the guys didn't really seem to…pleased."

I sniffed angrily and stood up quickly, placing the trauma box in the compartment.

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Well, don't get too stirred up just yet, Junior," Roy said, "I'm just sorry we even have to think they wouldn't like her."

"I didn't expect it from them," I admitted, "It kind of gets me thinking…do they feel that way about Marco and I?"

Roy looked shocked.

"Johnny, of course they don't!" he said indignantly, "You see how well Cap and Vince get along! I really don't think it has a thing to do with her color, which is why I told you not to get too upset just yet."

I nodded, silently planning on how exactly to confront the issue to my crewmates.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Roy backed the squad into the bay and I stepped out and sighed heavily. We had just gotten back from another one of those pointless runs where someone uses the Fire Department to open their door when they lock themselves out. It always got me a little fired up when our time was wasted like that, so I decided to use the heat to get to the bottom of the reaction to Destiny before my easy going personality took back over.

Captain Stanley…yeah, might as well get the hardest out of the way first. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door of his office.

"C'mon in," came the reply so entered and stood next to his desk, waiting to be given permission to sit. He was my Captain, after all. "Well, sit on down, John."

I pulled the chair next to the desk up behind my knees and sat on the edge of it, leaning towards the Captain with a serious expression on my face.

"Cap, can I ask you a serious question?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from showing the anger I felt.

Captain Stanley looked at me with some surprise, but he set down the book he was recording numbers in and gave me his full attention.

"Something brothering you, John?" he asked, "If Chet said something that made you mad, I'll give him latrine duty for a week again."

"Cap, it's not about Chet, not completely anyway," I replied quickly, "This is about Destiny."

The Captain's expression went from slight amusement at the possibility of Chet being in trouble again to complete shock.

"That girl who was here the other day?" he asked, I nodded. "What about her? "

I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms over my chest, raising an eyebrow.

"We're dating now," I stated, watching for any hint of expression change on his face. "What do you think about that?"

Captain Stanley looked surprised but, to MY surprise, he smiled.

"Well, I think that's great," he said, sounding genuinely glad. "She seemed like a very delightful girl!"

My jaw dropped open and I lost my cool, collected demeanor.

"But, Cap," I argued, "The other day when she was here you didn't seem very happy about her being here. You practically looked at her like she was…intruding."

"What!" he stood up, giving me a hard look. I stood too and backed up a little. "John Gage, what are you saying exactly?"

"I…I just thought maybe…" I stuttered, realizing how much of a jerk I was being, "Well, what was I suppose to think!"

"I'm surprised at you, John!" Captain Stanley sounded genuinely hurt. "If my reaction came off that way, it certainly wasn't meant to! Did she say anything to you about me?"

"She noticed you, Mike and Chet seemed distant," I replied honestly. "But, Cap, why didn't you treat her like Roy and Marco? You didn't shake her hand or even introduce yourself."

"John…" Captain Stanley sat back down in his chair heavily, "That day was a bad day for me. I won't lie to you, my mind wasn't on meeting new people or encouraging your love interests…my wife and I had a huge fight before that shift and that's all that was on my mind."

I looked at him incredulously.

"Oh wow, Cap I'm sorry," I said, feeling really stupid. "That makes so much more sense…did you work it out?"

"Yeah," the Captain smiled and nodded, "When I got home we both apologized and settled on a compromise and everything is fine. John, I'm very sorry for how I came off to her! Please bring her by sometime so I can tell her that myself!"

"Sure, Cap," I replied, standing to leave, "You're one load off my mind…but what reasons could Mike and Chet have against her?"

"Maybe nothing, John," he replied simply, "They probably have legitimate reason too. Don't judge them until you find out, ok?"

"Yes sir."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hey, Mike," I nonchalantly leaned against the engine as Stoker waxed her down with tender care.

"Hey, John," he replied, stopping his waxing to give me a smile. "Wanna help make 'er shine?"

I nodded and grabbed the extra rag off the door handle.

"So, what did you do on your days off?" Mike asked me, opening up the conversation to the exact topic I had planned.

"Well, Destiny and I went rock climbing and went out for drinks," I replied, watching his reaction out of the corner of my eye. "We decided to take our friendship to the next level. I'm picking her up after the shift ends."

Surprisingly, I saw Mike stiffen beside me and his jaw clenched slightly.

"Hmm." was all he said.

I closed my eyes for a second, willing myself not to snap at him.

"Is there a problem with that, Mike?" I asked, bitterly, "Do you not approve?"

Mike looked at me with a confused look but then understanding dawned on his face and he sighed, setting the wax and his rag down on the runner of the engine. He leaned against her and looked me directly in the eyes.

"John, come out and say what you're thinking," he stated in a no-nonsense tone.

"Alright, Mike," I said, dropping my rag too. "Do you have a problem with her because she's black?"

Mike sucked in a breath, looking insulted for a second, but then he sighed and shook his head as his eyes dropped to the floor.

"Man, don't get mad until I explain myself, ok?" he asked.

"I'll try, but I thought I knew you better," I was shaking a little from the anger building up inside me.

"I am not racist, John, you know that," Mike started slowly.

"I thought I did…" I said darkly.

"Look, Destiny is a lovely girl and she seemed very pleasant and I really liked her," Mike continued his explanation, "But…John, I won't lie, I was worried there was more to her than just being your friend."

I ground my teeth together and I could only imagine the death glare I was giving him.

"Before you get mad, let me finish!" Mike said sternly, obviously upset about having to voice this opinion, "I'm just concerned about you, is all. I know you had a rough time fitting in the Department when you were a boot because of your heritage, right?"

I kept my jaw tight but I nodded, it was true.

"I know how important the Fire Department is to you, and you are very important to all of us as well," Mike was starting to sound a little desperate for me to understand, but so far I was still lost. "John, if you had, and still do have, trouble from people for being half Indian can you _imagine_ how difficult people are going to make your life when they find out who you're dating?"

I dropped my arms from their crossed position and my eyes widened slightly.

"What are you saying, Mike?"

"I'm saying, some people are not going to like it, John!" Mike replied, not angrily…just looking sad about it. "I'm just afraid that people are going to treat you even worse because you're in a interracial relationship. Are you ready for the reactions you're going to get from people? I mean, some people are probably going to completely reject you because of this choice."

My anger melted a little. So this wasn't about Mike being against our relationship, he was just worried about me being rejected by the other firemen because of my choice.

"Yeah, Mike," I said quietly, "I'm well aware of how people are going to take it. I've lived with discrimination my whole life, so I don't even worry about what people think anymore."

"Well then…I'm happy for you," Mike smiled slightly, "She was a very pretty girl and she was very talkative and friendly. And she likes rock climbing, huh? She sounds like your kind of girl."

I nodded.

"I'm sorry if I came off as rude or anything!" Mike suddenly looked worried, "Did she think that! Oh man…well, I'm gonna have my wife make a really great meal and we'll have you both over! I'll apologize to her myself!"

I laughed, relieved that two out of three of the ones I was unsure of had legitimate reasons for their behavior.

"Alright, Mike," I said, picking up the rag to start waxing again, "I'm up for your wife's cooking anytime! And I'm sorry I thought you were being racist."

"It's an understandable mistake," Mike replied, resuming his waxing as well. We finished the engine just in time for the tones to sound, calling us out to rescue on the beach. Shark bite.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Well THAT was eventful!" Roy muttered as he plopped into a chair at the table and laid his head on his arms. "That mother was worse than the girl who actually got bitten!"

It was true, the girl's mother had leaned over our shoulders the whole time we were working on the bite. She had especially focused on making Roy miserable since I was running the biophone and he was doing to bandaging and I.V.

"She was insane!" Chet's voice cut through our thoughts. He plopped on the couch next to Boot who laid his shaggy head on Chet's lap. "Honestly, she was getting in the way and how does she think that's going to help her daughter?"

"She was just scared, Chet," I replied, setting my freshly filled coffee cup on the table. I looked around, Cap, Mike and Marco were checking the engine because she had made a funny noise on the trip back so they wouldn't be in the dayroom anytime soon. Now was my chance. "Hey, I have something to ask you."

"Oh yeah?" Chet looked suspicious, "If you're going to ask me how I get my mustache this way, forget it Gage. You're too baby faced!"

"Shut up, Chet," I grumbled, "This isn't about me, it's about Destiny."

Chet looked at me with surprise.

"You mean that gorgeous dark beauty you had in here the other day?"

I was taken aback by that statement.

"Uh…what?" I said dumbly.

"Man, Gage, you have all the luck!" Chet said, he looked genuinely annoyed. "I saw her walk in here and I was just about to lay out the Kelly charm but she was TOTALLY gone on you. How do you manage it, Gage? What's your secret?"

I stood there in shock. This wasn't what I had expected at all!

"Chet, you mean you thought she was good looking?"

"That's an understatement," Chet said, rolling his eyes. "She's gorgeous, Gage!"

"So…you were jealous?"

"I don't get jealous, Gage!" Chet huffed, standing up and walking past me, "I was just…shocked at her bad taste in men!"

I watched Chet go in shock and then slowly took a seat next to Roy.

"Well?" he asked me, a knowing smile on his face, "Did you get your answers?"

"Yeah," I replied, still looking at the door where Chet had disappeared. "And I feel like a jerk now that I found out what was going on. None of them dislike her or disapprove of our relationship…it was all a misunderstanding."

"Told you so, Junior." Roy smiled behind his coffee cup.

I smiled widely as relief flooded over me. The Captain simply hadn't been focused on anything other than his wife, Mike was only concerned for my feelings and Chet was jealous! Good to know my crew was behind me in this; it was going to make it less difficult, because I had no delusions of this relationship being simple or easy.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Whew, it's been a CRAZY week! I went to clinical and got to watch a baby be born and I'm on cloud nine! But I have to come down off that cloud and get a TON of reading done for my test on Wednesday now…so the next chapter may be a while again, but I'm trying!**

**Let me know what you think so far! **


	5. Chapter 5

**So guess what happened? My brother came by my school on his way to Canton, Missouri and gives me a Scotch envelop and goes "This came to mom and dad's house today, I don't know what it is." So I opened it and…IT WAS AN AUTOGRAPHED PICTURE FROM RANDOLPH MANTOOTH! He responded super fast!**

**So yeah, it's been a good day!**

**Onward!**

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_**Love's a stream that knows no borders,**_

_**Passports, visas, lengths of stay,**_

_**Laws and papers, rules and orders:**_

_**All these lies it sweeps away.**_

_**Love knows no color, race, or creed,**_

_**Spilling over states at will,**_

_**Submerging memory in need,**_

_**Drowning walls in waters still.**_

_**No bar can block it as it flows,**_

_**Tumbling towards eternity,**_

_**Gathering wisdom as it goes,**_

_**Yearning for our common sea.**_

_** This Stream Knows No Border- Nicholas Gordon**__**  
><strong>_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

I had just hung up my uniform when Chet pushed open the door.

"Hey, Gage," he said, looking halfway between smug and annoyed, "Your woman's here."

"Eat your heart out, Chet," I whispered and gave him a wink as I passed him in the doorway. He gave me a glare, but followed behind me as we headed to the kitchen.

I felt my stomach flip a little when Destiny looked up at me from the inside of the circle of firemen who surrounded her and smiled, her eyes softening when she met my gaze. My lips automatically curved up in one corner into my lopsided grin Dixie and Roy always told me could charm the stripes off a tiger.

"Well, 'scuse me, boys," she said, placing a hand on Marco's shoulder as she moved out of the circle, "It's been great seeing you all again, but I've got places to be and things to do."

"I seriously hope you don't mean what that sounded like," Chet muttered. I shot him a look I knew would make him shut his big mouth, and he did.

"That's none of your business, is it Chet?" Desi said with a wink, she leaned into me as I put my arm around her shoulders. Was it just my imagination or was there a tiny flash of envy in everyone's eyes?

"Well," Roy pulled his jacket on and pulled out his keys, "I'm gonna get on home to the family. I miss them a lot right now. Have a good time, you two."

"We always do," I said as Desi and I turned to walk out with Roy to the parking lot.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"So where are we headed this time?" Desi asked as she clicked on her seatbelt. She ALWAYS put on her seatbelt, even if we were only going a block, and she constantly got onto me for not wearing mine. Honestly, after years of jumping right in the squad and taking off, I hardly even thought about it until she came along.

"Well…I think YOU should pick," I declared, laying my wrist on the steering wheel and leaning back as I waited for her to decide.

She tapped the corner of her mouth with her finger and made a "hmmmm…" sound like she was thinking very deeply.

"I'll make a deal with you," she said suddenly, looking very excited. "You pick what we do _today_ and I pick what we do…Monday."

I raised an eyebrow and gave her a confused look.

"But I work on Monday…"

"Exactly."

I opened my mouth to argue but she giggled and put up a hand to stop me.

"I want to arrange a ride along with you and Roy," she explained, "Do you think Captain Stanley would mind?"

"Um, well we can request a ride along to the Chief, I suppose," I thought through the rules of the Department in my mind, "Do you have any reason to want to? Legally?"

"Well…I could claim to be interested in a medical career in the future…" her look was mischievous and it made me smile.

"I'll see what we can do about it!" I promised, "I'm sure we can work it out. Why do you want to ride along? It can be a long, tiresome day I'm warning you."

"I want to see what you do, Johnny," she said, looking surprised I would even have to ask, "I want to see you at work. I know you're a hero and all, but I've never had the opportunity to watch you do what you do."

I grinned at her. I hoped Monday would be a day of good runs and not too dangerous situations. The last thing I needed was to end up injured and laid out on an exam table at Rampart…that was becoming a far too common occurrence!

"So…" I said offhandedly as we walked, side by side along the trail beneath Eagle Rock. "We've been together about three weeks now."

Desi looked at me and smiled.

"Has it really been three weeks?" she asked, "Doesn't feel like it."

"You mean that in a good way or a bad way?" I asked, giving her a teasing grin.

"It feels like it's been an eternity!" Desi placed the back of her hand on her forehead and "fainted" dramatically, "I don't know how much longer I can stand it!"

I grabbed her by the shoulders and playfully tried to push her off the trail, but she spun around quickly and got out of my grip. We both laughed and an old couple walking by gave us a smile. Destiny stopped laughing and dodging and I nearly knocked her over when I failed to halt when she did and I bumped into her back.

"Sorry," I apologized. Still amused by our random bout of playfulness, I wrapped my arms around her and grinned evilly at having caught her. But that's when I noticed that she wasn't even paying attention, she was still watching the old couple who were walking over the top of a small hill on the trail hand in hand.

"Did you see them?" she asked quietly. I looked over my shoulder at the pair.

"Yeah, why?"

"They smiled at us," she whispered, still eyeing the spot where the couple had disappeared.

"Probably thought we were a couple of crazy kids," I mused, imagining how our romp had looked to people passing by.

"Johnny," Destiny whispered softly, her eyes finally locking on mine. "My point is…they didn't look at us with disapproval, or disgust…they looked happy for us."

And I finally understood. It was true, as a couple we had been subject to a lot of looks like she had described. I looked down at the beautiful woman I finally realized was tightly held in my arms and smiled at her.

"Well…" I whispered back, "We ARE a couple of good lookin' people."

Desi laughed slightly but her eyes held something I hadn't seen in them before and I tried to place where I had seen that look before. But before I could think about it too deeply, she leaned into me and her face tilted upwards and I felt myself automatically drifting towards her, my lips parted slightly on their own.

And I had never felt such a rush as I did when she suddenly stood on her tiptoes and took my bottom lip between hers! Suddenly, all the adrenaline of those many rescues over my career as a rescue man and paramedic seemed completely pathetic compared to the jolt that passed through me at the sudden contact with Destiny…huh…ironic name too!

Putting all other thoughts aside, I pulled her even closer by her upper arms and placed a hand behind her neck as I returned the kiss with enthusiasm. It was different from any other kiss I'd ever had (and Lord knows I'd had many over the years), but it was somehow better! I took in the feeling of her full, soft lips and when we finally parted there was a sweet and spicy taste that lingered and I wondered vaguely what it was.

I opened my eyes lazily, not really wanting the moment to have ended and found Desi smiling up at me, her dark eyes scanning my face.

"You're good at this," she said with a little laugh, "Had a lot of practice?"

I felt a hot blush creep up to my cheeks and I guiltily looked down at the ground between us.

"Well…yeah," I admitted.

"I'm not surprised at all," Desi said, she lifted my chin up with her finger and she was still smiling. "Someone like you doesn't go through life without a few dozen girls hanging on your coattails."

"I don't have coattails," I replied sarcastically.

"Well whatever you've got, girls like it."

"It's taken a long time to harness it all," I said, "Too much to handle all at once."

"I highly doubt that," Desi shook her head with a grin.

The meaning of her statement didn't go unnoticed and we both looked at each other in shock.

"That was probably the rudest thing I've ever heard!" I tried to sound insulted, but I couldn't stop the laugh that ruined the effect.

"That's NOT what I meant, John Gage!" Desi corrected, and if her skin wasn't so dark I'm sure the blush would have been beet red instead of the color of cherry chocolate that it did. She looked so put out that I pulled her into a hug.

"You have to admit," I chuckled into her thick hair, "You thought it as soon as you said it."

She pushed against my chest and she stepped back.

"You're mean, Johnny!" she said annoyed, but her eyes weren't serious at all. "Stop putting words in my mouth."

She smacked my arm as she passed me, continuing the walk we were originally on. One thing changed about our walk; for the rest of it we were hand in hand.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Destiny and I sat on a large rock overlooking the valley below, the city lights in the distance were starting to look like pinpricks through a black canvas as the sun set quickly, the valley fell into the shadow of the mountains. Destiny was telling me about a dog she had as a child and the many exploits they had been through together and I found myself absorbed in her story simply because I loved to watch the way her mouth moved when she spoke, I absentmindedly drew circles on the back of her hand with my thumb.

"Did you have any pets, Johnny?" she asked, making my mind come back to the present.

"Oh yeah," I said with a smile, "I had horses and dogs and cats. I even had a fox once back on the reservation when I was pretty young."

"You like animals then?" she asked, looking pleased.

"Yes I do," I said with a nod, remembering the cat who had had kittens on my bunk at the station, winning over Boot's affections, taking care of Bonnie the champion Yorkie, getting the horse named Fargo out of the trench…you had to love animals to go through all that!

"Good," Desi said, looking back out on the valley, "In my opinion, people who don't like animals have some kind of mental problem. I mean, most people like SOME kind of animal at least."

I smiled, but remained silent as we sat in the shadowy light of the freshly set sun. My mind wasn't on animals at the moment, because a thought had just occurred to me.

"You know," I said softly, not really sure how to approach the subject, "I haven't met any of your family or friends yet."

And Destiny's head turned to look at me so quickly I was surprised she didn't pull a neck muscle! Her eyes were wide and I thought I saw a flash of fear in them for a second.

"Well…" she tried to sound confident, but her voice shook a little, "You…never asked."

I cocked an eyebrow at her in surprise.

"Well, I'm asking now."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said quietly, refusing to make eyes contact.

"Why?" I pushed the issue. Roy always said I was really bad at letting things drop, but my curiosity, and a bit of my pride, was getting the best of me at the moment.

"Johnny…" she started to sound annoyed, but then she sighed and her shoulders drooped. "I told you about my daddy. I'm afraid to let you meet him even as just a friend…but as what you really are would be foolish, honestly. I'm not sure exactly what he would do."

My eyes widened slightly as I looked at her, she pulled her knees to her chest and laid her chin on her arm.

"Are you saying he'd take it THAT bad?" I asked.

Desi simply nodded.

"And your mom?"

"She…well you know, I really don't know what she would think," Desi admitted, "I've never really heard what mom thinks because daddy wouldn't even allow it to be said if she DID think otherwise. That's how adamant he is about the issue."

I let out a low whistle and felt like this wasn't going to be a very successful relationship if her parent hated me. At least I didn't have parents to worry about getting approval from anyway.

"So…where do we go from here then?" I asked quietly, not really wanting to hear the answer.

Destiny lifted her chin from her arm and looked at me in surprise.

"We keep it up, Johnny," she said simply, "We don't let other people's opinions bother us, remember?"

"But…they're your parents…"

"And I will tell them when the time is right," she assured me, "But I think I should have a talk with my mother first before we figure out when that time is. Maybe I'll have at least half of their support."

I nodded slowly, maybe my Gage charm could work on Desi's mother too…hopefully.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Well there's a chapter for you :D I'm gonna go take my Clinical Calculations test now and ace it! Wish me luck and write me reviews because I love them!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I should be doing homework instead of watching The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe…oh well! Can't wait for The Walking Dead to start back up tonight, I'm starving and the Caf doesn't open until 5, I just did about 100 NCLEX questions online and a chapter in my Nutrition book…its one of those blah days. **

**So, the best remedy is to take my idle mind and make it work! Next chapter!**

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_**Black Indian, White Indian,**_

_**Sharing a common bond,**_

_**Sharing an ancestry to which**_

_**They both belong.**_

_**Once separated by skin color,**_

_**Now one family**_

_**Brought together by the red man**_

_**To live in harmony.**_

_**Black Indian, White Indian,**_

_**Your foreign fathers**_

_**Did once collide.**_

_**Now you both find yourselves**_

_**On the same side.**_

_**Has your hatred disappeared?**_

_**Or are you just wearing a shell?**_

_**Are you really Indian?**_

_**Only time will tell.**_

_**Will this brotherhood last?**_

_**Or will it again erode?**_

_**Will you walk a crooked path?**_

_**Or will you stay on the red road?**_

_** Black Indian, White Indian – Lone Wolf**_

The phone rang, jerking me into consciousness because of the fact that it was right next to my head on the end table. I looked around in confusion for a moment before realizing I had fallen asleep on the couch; then I grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" I cleared my throat because it was scratchy with sleep.

"Johnny, I'm sorry, were you asleep?" Desi's voice reached my ears and all traces of sleepiness disappeared.

"Oh, hey, Desi! Yeah, I was but it's fine, I need to get up anyway," I assured her, standing up from the couch and stretching the kinks out my back that sleeping in that position had put there.

"Good, I know you need your sleep after that crazy shift the other day," Desi said, and I could almost hear the smile in her voice.

Monday's shift had been so crazy that the Cap had sent Desi home not long after she arrived, giving her a rain check for a ride-along at a better time. But now it was Wednesday and I realized I had spent the entirety of Tuesday sleeping.

"Yeah…" I agreed, "It was a very long day. So, what's on your mind?"

"Well…" the hesitation in Desi's voice made my mind jump to all kinds of possibilities and I automatically began to wonder what was wrong. "I talked to my mom."

My stomach dropped and I felt like I was going to throw up for a second. I sat back down on the couch and waited for her to continue; waited for the bad news.

"Can you meet us somewhere this afternoon?" Desi asked.

"Us?"

"Me and my mom."

And I sat up straight, a grin broke out on my face.

"She actually wants to meet me?" I asked in disbelief, "Is she…is she mad?"

"Johnny…can you meet us at that new place, Manila Sunrise I think it's called? On South Main. 4:30?"

"Yeah, Desi, I'll be there," I agreed, but I felt like I might be walking into a trap.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

I wetted down a stubborn strand of my hair that was determined to hang right into my eyes and gulped at the frightened look of my reflection.

"Calm down, Johnny_," _I kept telling myself; "Just don't get too worked up about this. Be yourself. Work that Gage charm."

I straightened the collar on my brown button up shirt and practiced a few smiles in the mirror. Well…nothing else to be done and I had to get out of here and get to the restaurant, so I grabbed my keys and headed out of my apartment.

I parked the Rover down the street and slowly made my way to the Filipino restaurant where my Destiny was waiting…literally.

"Johnny, over here," I heard Desi's voice call out when I walked in. I spotted her by the window to my left and I walked over, a smile plastered on my face. Somehow, seeing her just made everything feel…like it was going to be ok.

"Hey, Desi," I greeted her. She scooted over and I slid into the booth next to her.

"Hey, Johnny," Desi replied, leaning over and kissing my cheek.

I gave her a confused look but she just grinned. So I shifted my gaze to the woman across the table from me.

Destiny's mom was a hefty woman and her skin was almost the exact same shade as Desi's. She was looking at me with a calculating gaze, but not really unfriendly…just cautious.

"Mom, this is John Gage," Destiny introduced us, "Johnny, this is my mother."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Ross," I said, giving her my patented smile and extending my hand for the customary shake.

For a second, I thought she wasn't going to return the greeting and my smile faltered ever so slightly. But then my hand was taken in a tight grip and shaken fiercely, a big smile spread over the woman's face and I felt the tight worry in my chest disappear.

"Well aren't you just a handsome young thing?" she declared loudly, maintaining her grip on my hand and placing her other on top of mine. "Desi wasn't lying in that respect!"

"Mom…" Desi whispered, blushing cherry-chocolate brown.

"Now," Mrs. Ross released her hold on me and leaned back, "Tell me, John Gage, what are your intentions with my daughter?"

I was taken aback by her sudden change in tone and Desi placed hand on my knee under the table and gave me a comforting squeeze. Not that something like that makes a guy _any_ less tense!

"Mrs. Ross, I promise you I have no bad intentions," I stated firmly, "I have complete respect for your daughter."

But her expression didn't change; she still looked like she was calculating my every single move.

"Where did you meet her?" she asked me.

"On one of the hill trails outside of town," I replied, confident in my answer to this one for sure! "I was out jogging on my day off and found her on the side of the trail hurtin' from a Charlie Horse. So I stopped to help her out."

"Your day off? What do you do?"

I looked at Destiny out of the corner of my eye and she was smiling. Apparently she hadn't told her mother anything about me…I truly WAS making a first impression.

"I'm a fireman, ma'am," I replied simply, "Well, a Rescue Paramedic actually."

Mrs. Ross kept my gaze locked with hers and she leaned slightly closer, her interest showing in spite of her efforts to remain intimidating.

"Well, I will admit, that is a very admirable profession."

"Thank you," I felt like maybe I was making some points here.

"Dangerous though." And then I realized what she was getting at.

"Yes…it is," I admitted, feeling it would be best to maintain the honesty at this table. "And it's not the most well paying job either."

Destiny's grip on my leg suddenly tightened and I jerked slightly at the sharp pain that shot up my thigh. I glanced at her with a frown.

"Well…you're honest, that's for sure," Mrs. Ross didn't seem to notice our annoyed exchange.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, smiling again, "I may not come from the most civilized beginnings but…my mother taught he that honesty is always the best policy."

At this, her interest seemed to peak.

"What beginnings do you come from then, Mr. Gage?" she asked me, her eyes had changed slightly and I thought I saw a flicker of a smile in them.

I bit my bottom lip slightly and took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before letting it out.

"I was born on a Reservation up in the north of the state," I finally answered, and I could almost feel my chances with Destiny slipping away. "My mother was white, my father was full blooded Seminole."

And when I raised my head up from where it had somehow hung slightly, I wasn't expecting to see what I saw. Mrs. Ross was leaning towards me, her eyes soft and sad.

"And what makes you ashamed to say that?" she asked quietly.

"I…it's not something a person likes to admit when past experience tells them it's best not to shout it to the world," I replied, "Prejudice is no stranger to me."

"Me neither, John Gage," Mrs. Ross's voice was quiet and her eyes were locked firmly with mine. I found I couldn't look away.

"Well, mom?" Destiny interrupted our staring contest. "What do you think?"

"One last question," Mrs. Ross demanded softly.

"Shoot," I challenged.

"Are you concerned at all about your differences in culture and race?" There it was. The question I had been waiting for her to ask.

I looked at Destiny for a long moment and she maintained a confident smile for the length of my stare. Finally, I looked back to Mrs. Ross.

"Yes." I replied, honestly. I felt Destiny stiffen beside me and I saw something close to fire flash through her mother's eyes.

"Let me explain!" I said quickly, knowing what they must be thinking, "The reason I have concern is for Destiny, not myself. I could care less what people think of me, but I don't want people looking down on her or giving her problems. So my concerns are only for what's best for Destiny."

Mrs. Ross leaned back into her previous position and looked at me in silence for what seemed an eternity. I started feeling very uncomfortable and I shifted nervously in my seat, wanting to make a break for the door.

"Well, Mr. Gage," Mrs. Ross finally spoke, her words were very carefully stated. "I'm a great judge of character and I can usually spot a person with ill intentions. I've seen nothing about you nor have you said anything that makes me uncomfortable or that I found questionable. You seem to genuinely care about my daughter and you seem to be a respectable man. So…I will tell you that you have my permission to pursue her."

I felt the stress and fear I had been feeling suddenly lift from my shoulders and I left my muscles I had been tensing the whole time relax. Destiny grabbed my arm and scooted closer to my side, I felt her lips press to my jaw but all I could do was smile goofily at Mrs. Ross, hoping my relief and gratitude was effectively shown in it.

"Thank you," I said, the relief showing in my voice. "I promise I'll treat her with the upmost respect and I'll keep her safe."

"I am sure you will," Mrs. Ross nodded. "Now…the next step is to talk to your father about this, Desi. And you know that's not going to be easy."

"I know, mom," Desi sighed heavily, "But let's not worry about that now. Let's just be happy in winning half the battle."

"I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a warzone…" I commented, nervously sipping on the water that had been set in front of us.

"You may just very well be," Mrs. Ross muttered.

Great. Why was there always a catch? Was it written somewhere on the day I was born that I couldn't ever have a simple relationship?

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**I promise there will be more character development of Desi's mom because I really like her in my mind! And Desi's sister is really burning a hole in my mind…she's my favorite so far. She'll be in the story soon :D**


End file.
